50 Fun Facts About The Rising of the Shield Hero

In The Rising of the Shield Hero, Raphtalia is a demi-human with the ears and tail of which animal?

Raccoon features mark Raphtalia as a tanuki-type demi-human, and that tanuki bloodline later turns out to make her an heir to a foreign throne.

In The Rising of the Shield Hero, King Aultcray is spared execution but legally renamed what as punishment?

Trash becomes the former king's legal name once he is stripped of his nobility, a lasting humiliation imposed in place of the death penalty.

In The Rising of the Shield Hero, Naofumi's cursed shield is named for which of the seven deadly sins?

Wrath gives the shield its name, and its cursed flames burn friend and foe alike: Raphtalia is scorched trying to calm Naofumi the first time he loses himself to it.

Which hero from The Rising of the Shield Hero stars in the spin-off The Reprise of the Spear Hero?

Motoyasu Kitamura gets his own series, in which the lovestruck Spear Hero is killed in battle and sent back to the start of the story with his memories intact.

Season 2 of The Rising of the Shield Hero centres on a rampaging Guardian Beast shaped like which animal?

A tortoise it is: the giant Spirit Tortoise was awakened early and controlled by a scientist from a parallel world, who used it to harvest souls.

In The Rising of the Shield Hero, where is Naofumi reading a book about four heroes when he is summoned away?

A library is where it begins: the book sucks Naofumi in, and he arrives alongside three other heroes who each come from a different version of Earth.

Which princess in The Rising of the Shield Hero is heir to Melromarc's throne and becomes Filo's best friend?

Melty is the younger of two princesses, yet the queen placed her first in line for the throne because she judged the older sister unfit to rule.

Which animation studio, also behind Made in Abyss, produces The Rising of the Shield Hero?

Kinema Citrus animated the first season alone, then brought in DR Movie as a co-producer for the second.

At the 2020 Crunchyroll Anime Awards, Raphtalia from The Rising of the Shield Hero won which category?

Best Girl went to Raphtalia at the same ceremony where Naofumi's English voice actor took the prize for best performance in an English dub.

In The Rising of the Shield Hero, which weapon does Raphtalia wield as the main attacker in Naofumi's party?

A sword is Raphtalia's weapon because Naofumi's shield leaves him unable to fight for himself, so he buys and trains her to strike on his behalf.

In The Rising of the Shield Hero, what does Filo love to pull behind her in her giant bird form?

A cart built specially for her by Naofumi is Filo's pride and joy, and hauling it around is her favourite hobby.

In The Rising of the Shield Hero, what makes Raphtalia grow from a child into a young woman so quickly?

Gaining levels ages a demi-human's body, so although Raphtalia soon looks like an adult she is technically still about ten years old.

Which centuries-old queen of the giant birds in The Rising of the Shield Hero names Filo as her successor?

Fitoria tests Filo in a duel before naming her heir, and she threatens to kill the four heroes herself if they keep refusing to work together.

Which fan-wielding invader from another world overpowers the heroes in season 1 of The Rising of the Shield Hero?

Glass singles out Naofumi as the only true hero among the four, then overwhelms his party in a duel that they only narrowly survive.

Under which alias does Princess Malty join Naofumi's party as an adventurer in The Rising of the Shield Hero?

Myne Sophia was the only adventurer to volunteer for Naofumi's party, and soon afterwards she robbed him and falsely accused him of assaulting her.

In The Rising of the Shield Hero, which object in Melromarc's cathedral counts down to the next Wave?

An hourglass known as the Dragon Hourglass measures the time between Waves, and the heroes can also use such devices as warp points.

Which blacksmith in The Rising of the Shield Hero is the first person to believe Naofumi is innocent?

Erhard sets out to confront Naofumi over the accusation, realises he is innocent and hands him a bag of basic equipment instead.

In what form did The Rising of the Shield Hero first appear in 2012, before any publisher picked it up?

A web novel posted on a Japanese site for user-written fiction came first, and the printed light novels that followed retell it with an expanded storyline.

Which cuddly familiar does Naofumi create in The Rising of the Shield Hero to track down a missing party member?

Raph-chan was made using Raphtalia's hair, and Naofumi dotes on the creature so openly that Raphtalia finds it embarrassing.

Which demi-human nation in The Rising of the Shield Hero was founded with the help of an earlier Shield Hero?

Siltvelt's founding caused a schism: resentment over it led Melromarc's main church to break away and brand the Shield Hero a demon.

Which timid novice joins Naofumi in The Rising of the Shield Hero after the Bow Hero's party frames and expels her?

Rishia Ivyred looks weak on paper, but in a crisis her hidden power lets her take on opponents far stronger than she is.

Which scythe-wielding king befriends Naofumi in The Rising of the Shield Hero and nicknames him 'kiddo'?

L'Arc Berg refuses to believe his new friend could be the notorious Shield Hero, and only realises the truth in the middle of a Wave, after which he challenges Naofumi to a fight.

In The Rising of the Shield Hero, which sense does Naofumi regain after Raphtalia stands up for him at the duel?

Taste returns the next morning, when Naofumi eats a breakfast sandwich Raphtalia made and finds he can enjoy food again.

In The Rising of the Shield Hero, what was Naofumi Iwatani's occupation in Japan before he was summoned?

University student Naofumi was the only one of the four summoned heroes who had never played a game resembling the world they arrived in.

Which actor won a Crunchyroll Anime Award for voicing Naofumi in the English dub of The Rising of the Shield Hero?

Billy Kametz voiced Naofumi for the first season only: he died of cancer in 2022 at the age of 35, and the part was recast from season 2.

Which author wrote the light novels that The Rising of the Shield Hero anime is based on?

Aneko Yusagi's series had more than 3.3 million volumes in print by the end of 2018, shortly before the anime began airing.

Which island chain do the heroes visit to train near the end of season 1 of The Rising of the Shield Hero?

Cal Mira is meant to be a training trip, but it ends with a Wave breaking out at sea, which the queen meets with a large naval fleet.

Which childhood friend of Raphtalia in The Rising of the Shield Hero is found alive in a cruel nobleman's dungeon?

Keel is a dog-type demi-human who grew up believing she was a boy, and she later asks to join Naofumi's party to help protect her friends.

Which Hunting Hero does Naofumi meet inside a magic labyrinth in season 2 of The Rising of the Shield Hero?

Kizuna Kazayama had been trapped there for years, and like Naofumi she fights with a handicap: her weapon can only be turned on monsters, never on people.

Which book-wielding scientist is the main villain of season 2 of The Rising of the Shield Hero?

Kyo Ethnina seizes control of a Guardian Beast to gather the energy of the dead, then flees home to his own world with Naofumi in pursuit.

Which ally in season 2 of The Rising of the Shield Hero turns out to be the rampaging Guardian Beast's own familiar?

Ost Hourai asks Naofumi to destroy the beast even though she knows that its death will end her own life as well.

Which actress voices Raphtalia in the English dub of The Rising of the Shield Hero?

Erica Mendez has played Raphtalia opposite two different leading men, because the English voice of Naofumi changed after the first season.

Which act performs the opening themes of The Rising of the Shield Hero, including 'Rise' and 'Faith'?

Madkid performed the opening theme for each of the first four seasons, following 'Rise' and 'Faith' with 'Bring Back', 'Sin' and 'Resolution'.

Which Japanese voice actor plays Naofumi Iwatani in the original version of The Rising of the Shield Hero?

Kaito Ishikawa kept the part across the first four seasons, a steadier run than the English dub, which had to recast Naofumi after its first.

In The Rising of the Shield Hero, which type of magic does Malty use to trip Naofumi and cost him his duel?

Wind magic knocks Naofumi off balance just as he is winning, and two of the other heroes openly condemn the king for allowing such blatant cheating.

Which orca demi-human in The Rising of the Shield Hero becomes a coliseum fighter to free her fellow villagers?

Sadeena was away on a fishing trip when the first Wave struck her village, and she deeply regrets having failed to protect it.

Which composer, also known for scoring Made in Abyss, wrote the music for The Rising of the Shield Hero?

Kevin Penkin, who grew up in Perth in Western Australia, earned a Best Score nomination at the Crunchyroll Anime Awards for his Shield Hero music.

Which Japanese voice actress plays Raphtalia and sings an insert song in episode 4 of The Rising of the Shield Hero?

Asami Seto performed the song, 'Falling Through Starlight', in character as Raphtalia rather than under her own name.

In The Rising of the Shield Hero, Ren Amaki amuses his fellow heroes by being afraid of what?

Water terrifies Ren, who cannot swim, an awkward weakness for a loner who works hard to keep up his image as the cool one.

Ethnobalt, a scholarly ally in The Rising of the Shield Hero, belongs to a species resembling which animal?

A rabbit by nature, Ethnobalt can also take the form of a young boy, and his kind are scholars who are poorly suited to combat.

Which nobleman in The Rising of the Shield Hero tortured Raphtalia before she was sold on to Naofumi?

Idol Rabier meets Raphtalia again in season 1, when she chooses to spare his life because killing him would bring her no comfort.

Which skill of his cursed shield does Naofumi use to kill the Pope in The Rising of the Shield Hero?

Blood Sacrifice drains Naofumi's own blood to power the attack, and he needs three days to recover after using it.

In The Rising of the Shield Hero, what are the queen's ninja-like agents who watch over each hero called?

Shadows rescue two of the heroes after the church orders them killed, a twist revealed in the middle of the battle against its leader.

Which publisher licensed the light novels and manga of The Rising of the Shield Hero for North America?

One Peace Books began releasing the series in North America in September 2015, more than three years before the anime adaptation aired.

In The Rising of the Shield Hero, what does Filo become in a parallel world where her species does not exist?

A Humming Fairy can fly and cast magic by singing, but the change costs Filo the brute strength she normally relies on.

Which childhood friend of Raphtalia in The Rising of the Shield Hero died of illness while the two were enslaved?

Rifana's remains are later found in the cell where she died, and Raphtalia breaks down in the belief that she abandoned her friend.

Which singer performs the ending themes of The Rising of the Shield Hero, including 'Kimi no Namae'?

Chiai Fujikawa sang the ending theme for each of the first four seasons, while a single act supplied every opening theme over the same run.

Which artist illustrates the light novels of The Rising of the Shield Hero and created the characters' original look?

Seira Minami's art appears in the printed novels, while the manga version is drawn by a different artist, Aiya Kyū.

Who took over as Naofumi's English voice from season 2 of The Rising of the Shield Hero?

Stephen Fu succeeded an actor who had won a Crunchyroll Anime Award for the same role.

Which slave merchant in The Rising of the Shield Hero sells Naofumi both Raphtalia and the egg that hatches into Filo?

Beloukas approaches Naofumi hoping to profit from a hero's reputation, and for most of the story he is known simply by his trade rather than his name.